It's been six years since we had a proper new game console in our living rooms. That alone was enough to entice me to hunt down actual Wii U hardware, regardless of its quality. But questions remain: How is the GamePad? Is Nintendo finally going to get their online right? Some of these questions still need answers, but thanks to Nintendo Land and ZombiU, my faith in what Nintendo is doing remains intact despite the usual launch day jitters – and a by-the-numbers Mario adventure.

The Wii U isn't going to set the world on fire right out the gate. But so far, I've found it to be a healthy upgrade over a long-since faded Wii. It's tempting to directly compare the Wii U to the 360 and the PS3, but Nintendo is still dancing to its own drum beat, and people like us are just along for the ride. The Wii U launch has been bumpy in spots but I'm feeling pretty good about where it’s heading.